Monday, March 18, 2013

Ashland University’s
award-winning Jazz program is proud to present the 2013 Maplerock Jazz
Festival slated for Friday, March 22. Along with free performances
by area high school jazz ensembles in the afternoon, the event presents a
main stage concert at 7:30 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre featuring VAUGHN WIESTER'S FAMOUS JAZZ ORCHESTRA as guest artist. The afternoon performances are free and open
to the public while tickets for the evening concert are available through the
Ashland University Box Office at 419.289.5125, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday
through Friday, or online (additional fees apply) at www.ashland.edu/tickets.

Vaughn
Wiester's Famous Jazz Orchestra takes its place as one of the recent
"Young Blood" big bands on the scene, and boasts a roster of some of the
brightest and best players offered. Sporting a 12-piece brass section
including french horns and tuba, the orchestra's repertoire is
selected from the post-bop libraries of Woody Herman, Count Basie, Stan
Kenton and others. Members of the 21-piece orchestra
have played with orchestras of Glenn Miller, Guy Lombardo,
Woody Herman, Mel Lewis, Tommy Dorsey, Ralph
Marterie and Buddy Rich.

Vaughn Wiester, director, brings a lifetime of experience to his performances. As a former
university jazz instructor, a jazz arranger, and former trombonist with the
Woody Herman Orchestra, his passion is to study the music of great composers and arrangers, and to present that music at every opportunity. After a hitch as a navy trombonist, Vaughn Wiester came to Columbus
in 1968 to attend The Ohio State University and to join the Dave Workman Blues
Band. In 1972 he became a member of the Jazz Arts
Group led by Ray Eubanks, and was invited to join the Woody Herman orchestra
in 1974. After two years on the road
with Herman, Vaughn returned to Columbus to accept a position at the Dave
Wheeler Contemporary Music Workshop and to resume his activities with the Jazz
Arts Group as a bass trombonist and arranger. In 1977, Wiester was invited to join the
faculty at Capital University as part of their pioneering Jazz Studies degree
program. Wiester's arrangements can be heard on
recordings by Woody Herman, Waldo's Ragtime Orchestra, the Columbus Jazz
Orchestra, and the Keith Henson Octet.

The Jazz Festival's afternoon performance schedule is as follows:

11:30 a.m. Ashland Middle School

12:00 p.m. Wellington High School

12:30 p.m. Lakewood High School Monday Band

1:00 p.m. Ashland High School Jazz Band A

1:30 p.m. Lakewood High School Tuesday Band2:00 p.m. Ashland Jazz Band B 2:30 p.m. Rittman High School 3:00 p.m. Orrville High School

In honor of Ashland
University Professor of Music Dr. Scott Garlock's tenth year directing
the Ashland University Jazz Orchestra, the evening concert begins with
several selections performed by the Ashland University Jazz Orchestra and AUJO alumni. Immediately following, Vaughn Wiester's Famous Jazz Orchestra will headline the evening concert.

Tickets
for the evening concert are $10 for adults; $5 for senior citizens, non-Ashland
University students and Ashland University faculty and staff; and free for
Ashland University students.

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about ASHLAND MUSIC NEWS

ASHLAND MUSIC NEWS is a blog to provide news and information about our programs, students, faculty, and ensembles.Ashland University is a private, comprehensive institution in Ashland, OH, founded in 1878.The Department of Music is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.